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The bands have recovered surprisingly well. But something in the way to North America. Worked W9CPI on 20 and he was coming from around 220 dgs. Nothing at all from NW.

LP was open to ZL on 20 the normal Great Circle way.

2017 September 9

Aurora in central Europe in the evening September 8

Was up late (or early) to catch any possible sporadic E-layer (or maybe F-layer). They usually form in strong aurora. With a bit of luck it’s possible with S9 signals into the US on 20. The clouds are quite small so the propagation is very patchy. I’ve been working strong Midwest stations when nothing else has been heard. Of course there is propagation to other places too like north of Siberia etc. but it’s nobody there ;-).

We got sporadic E-clouds last night with very good short skip on 20 but no Rev beacon spot beyond Iceland. Nothing heard on CW or SSB portions. When I tuned over the digital part I could hear WSPR tones so started the WSPR mode. And yes there was KC2NYU with -11 dBs. He is on the Atlantic coast in GA (hope he will escape Irma). No other spots except LA9JO on the Northern tip of Norway 2300 km North of me. Continued calling and listening on CW and SSB but noting.

Not much really. I was too late to get a Rev Beacon peak on my 30 m signals and the WSPR activity resulted in too few spots when the shadow actually swept over the receiving stations.Totality on the East coast was around 18Z

2017 August 21

The Solar Eclipse

I had an idea that it might be possible to see if the local disappearance of the D-layer along the shadow trace would enhance the propagation on lower bands. Unfortunately we need three hops to reach the US states of interest. So any effect will be greatly evened out by the signal passing the D-layer several times on its way.

I started at 7 MHz but not a trace in NA. Changed to 10 MHz and there, a weak signal was recorded. Had to socialize during a critical period of time so started WSPR on 30m which run while I was away. When back I called CQ NA for about an hour on 30m and got Reverse Beacon spots (no living HAM). Now I’m trying to put the data into Excel to see if there is a trend that could be linked to the solar eclipse. There are trends for sure, but maybe just from a normally changing Ionosphere. Hopefully one or more WSPR and Reverse Beacon stations were close to the shadow when spotting me.

I’ll be back

2017 August 8

QSO with Russ, W1SPI on 20 m at 2020 UTC. He was using an MFJ loop, horizontally mounted, on the balcony on second floor and 100W. Propagation to NA was not very good but Russ was getting through quite well.

Had an amazing QSO on 20m CW late in the evening. I had a long chat with Ale, LW8DRU/T/M while he was driving (actually his XYL was driving) on the transit road near Tilcara in the northern mountains of Argentina. He was using 100W and an Atas 120 mobile antenna. One could hear when he was passing over better and worse ground. Very distinct QSB.

Attached is a sound clip from the very end of our contact. Ale was quite a bit stronger in the beginning.

Strange propagation. 20m seemed to be dead. Only Rev Spot from Europe was from LZ! Suddenly KH6AT came back with a good signal 579/579. Nothing else.

Numbers: SSN:0 SFI:70 A:7 K:4

2017 July 2

Numbers today SN:11 SFI:71 A:11 K:2. Not a single DX spot on any band except a 5 dB spot from WZ7I on 20! Not a beep in ZL any band from here.

2017 July 1

Good numbers SN:11 SFI:72 A:4 K:2 but not a single Rev Beacon Spot on 20m in the morning from North America. VK9AA is readable on 14200.

2017 June 16

Last couple of days I’ve found that VOA CAP doesn’t predict propagation to ZL very well in the evenings. At my sunset +/- one hour the best band is 40m. The prediction says -21dBs/-6dBs for SP/LP. For 20m the prediction is +27dBs/+15 dBs for SP/LP but there is no propagation over SP at all and good propagation over LP.

Later when trying the 18 MHz LP opening to ZL I got better spots from US East Coast when beaming over SA than when beaming NA. Propagation to ZL was poor.

SN28, SFI77, A4 k4.

2017 May 19

Today I found out that I had a good signal into ZL, North Island on 20m one hour before my SS when beaming 150 dgs. That’s 90 dgs off SP or LP. Nothing when beaming either SP or LP!

Later found same phenomenon on 40m but not as pronounced as on 20m. There is a signal getting through over SP/LP but with QSB and weaker than over the 150 dgs path. Or possibly it’s just steeper take off angle on 40 so the rotary dipole workes even when pointing in the direction of the propagation path.

Same is true for 30m.

2017 May 15

Last couple of days the morning SP to ZL on 20 has had a twist to the North. With best signal due North.

2017 May 13

Very good openings to KH6 in the mornings on 20m.

Best path to ZL on 20m in the morning now is mostly SP. LP at times. VK always best over LP.

2017 May 12

Worked ZL3GA on 80 right at his SR.

Today the tubes were delivered to the door and dropped into the linear. Works fine. Same performance as with the old Eimac tubes as far as I can tell.

2017 May 10

RF Parts in California no longer export the tubes so I put an order at TheDXShop in the UK yesterday.

While waiting, the L7 runs nicely with just one tube. Output varies between 700 and 800 Watts depending on band.

I have tried to figure out what has caused the failing welding of the plate connection. Exactly the same thing happened to the other tube some years ago. I think a probable cause are the very tiny movements the plate makes on every dot and dash when sending telegraphy. A rough estimate gives a failure after 100 to 200 million dots and dashes.

The brand of the tubes is Eimac.

2017 May 6

The other day there was a bang in my L7. One tube had a warped plate. Not a big deal I thought. Had a spare never used 3-500z in the garage. Plugged it in and started to cook it to improve the vacuum (I thought). But things looked weird. So thought something had broken by the flash over. After hours of troubleshooting there was no alternative but a faulty tube. And yes, the new one had a short between grid an filament. So now running on one 3-500z. Don’t dare to run more than about 700W output (at 1200W input). Till I find a new tube.

Second time this happens. The weld i broken:

2017 April 19

After days of super propagation. QSO with ZL3NW on 160m and other nice achievments, things seem to return to normal. Aurora flutter on 40m on signals arriving from ZL. ZL2IN on this recording: QSO at 0615 UTC.

Suddenly in the evening TB was wide open to ZL with Aurora hanging over us. QSO with ZL3NW again. Now with extreme signals. Recording below was on the low TX dipole just to show how good the propagation was:

Poor conditions but Paul,ZL4TT had good signals on 80m LP coming in best on my NW beverage. SN:55 SFI:81 A:36 K:4 after last nights Aurora.

QSO with FK8IK, Mic on 30m CW at 0725z. Mic was a good 579 and only DX on the band.

5Z4/DL2RMC on 30m CW at 1632z

ZL4TT on 80m CW at 1802z.

2017 March 1

QSO with ZL4TT, Paul on 80m CW at his SR at 1809z. He was using 400W and his 43 ft vertical with 2 elevated radials. I was listening on my 185m unterminated SW beverage listening “over my shoulder”. Was TXing on the 2 el inv vee wire Yagi and with 1 kW.

3XY3D in the log for 30m at 2209z. Was S1 to S3 working NA but came back on first call. Only station heard on whole band!

2017 Feb 18

ARRL contest so fled to 30m.

QSO with Pete ZL2AZ in Wellington on CW at 0724z. He was a good 579 and I got 569.

2017 Feb 17

Worked ED8URT on 80m CW at 2235z. The Inv L Dipole was 1-2 S-unit better than the 2 el Wire beam when that was tuned for NE. When switched to SW, the beam was 1 S-unit better than the inv L. Signal strength around S9 so 6 dBs per S-unit.

WA1BXY worked on 80m CW. He was stronger on the beam tuned for SW than on the inv L dipole!

A Reverse Beacon comparison favours the Inv L Dipole with 2-3 dBs on NA East Coast.

2017 Feb 16

QSO with 9K2NO on 160m at 2049z. He was slightly stronger on the tower than on the dipole but S9 on both.

Tried XX9D on 1823.5 kHz earlier but deep QSB and no QSO.

QSO with Jw2US on 160m at 2117z. Slightly stronger on the tower. Peaking S7, First call.

Listened to W1MK on 80m CW at 2250z and he was at least one S-unit stronger on the 2 el Inv vee Wire beam tuned for SW than on the Inv L dipole with one leg pointing horizontaly to SW 20m up and the other leg almost vertical. Very strange.

QSO with A5A on 80m CW at 2317z, Was much better on the Inv L dipole. S8-9. First call.

2017 Feb 15

Worked XX9D on 40m CW at 1504z and on 80m CW at 1530z, 10 minutes before my SS. That was on the 2 el wire beam since I thought he was stronger on that antenna on receive but still very weak at 1520z. But when checked again after QSO he was S6 on the beam and S7 on the inv L dipole.

2017 Feb 14

Worked XX9D on 15m at 0647.

80m looks poor. Very weak spots from Europe and low from NA.

ZL3NB heard with 449 at 1715z on 3511. Going down. No QSO.

2017 Feb 13

Called XX9D on 80 and 40 for two hours and no QSO.

At 1756z a new contact on 80m with Yosi JA9PPC with 569 both ways. He seemed to be 1 S-unit stronger on the wire beam than on the inv L dipole but when asking him he said both were equal.

80m in the morning didn’t produce any DX despite fair Rev Beacon spots from NA. Worked ZL2AIM on 40m at 0708z. I was weak with him, up to 559 but he was peaking 589. Bit later worked ZL3XDJ at 0742z. He was about 569 here while I was peaking 599 plus 10 dBs. So very strange propagation.

2017 Feb 12

Worked Yosi JA9PPC on 80m at 1804z. He was markebly stronger on the wire beam than on the Inv L dipole unlike JA7BXS yesterday.

TL8TT was worked on 20m CW, 20m SSB, 17m CW, 17m SSB and 15m CW during the day and 40m CW in the evening. Higher bands were closed.

2017 Feb 11

Heard LU and NA stations with reasonable signals in the morning but no contact. Seems as my best time is well before SR.

Worked VK3XU on 40m CW at 0735z and TL8TT on 15m SSB at 1035z.

VK3IO on 80m at 1801z on the wire beam.

JA7BXS on 80 at 2114z. 5-10 dBs better on the Inv L dipole than on the Wire beam (as usual)! Ham CAP proposes 20 dgs take off (6 dgs at 5 MHz).

2017 Feb 10

This morning NY2PO was very loud on 80m, 45 minutes after our SR. S9 on the meter and I received 569. He was about 10 dBs stronger on my inv vee 2 el Yagi pointing to the SW than on my inverted L dipole with one leg horizontal at 20m and one leg vertical. Normally it is the other way around.

When comparing 80m Reverse Beacon spots from SM4OTI he had an extreme signal strength in a very short peak on the NA East coast right at his SR. This is at VE3EID: